Stalk-cutter.



J. 13'..l WEATHERLY.

STALK CUTTER.

' APLIGATION FILED APB. 11, 1910. 976,959.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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JOHN R. WEATHER-LY, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

STALK-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Paten'ttl NOV. 29, 1910- Application filed April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,638.

To all whom it may concern.'

Re it known that JOHN R. VEATHERLY, a citizen of the United States. residing at tavannah. in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Stalk-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in stalk-cutters, and has special reference to that type of stalk-cutter disclosed in my former Patent No. 796,884, dated Aug. 8, 1905, and the patent to A. WV. Weatherly, No. 799,506, of Sept. 12, 1905, the present invention being much simplitied and yet more eflicient in operation, easy and convenient to operate, and comprising a minimum number of parts and capable of being manufactured at a comparatively small initial cost.

With the foregoing objects in view, my present invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

ln the accompanying drawings :WFigure 1 is a view in side elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan View, and Fig. 3 is a detail from one side showing the cutter raised from the ground, and the position taken by the parts when the cutter is raised.

A, represents the main frame of the machine. This may be made of strap or angleiron in the general rectangular form illustrated in Fig. 2, if desired, but it is obvious that this part of the vinvention might be indefinitely varied. But in the construction illustrated, the frame is made in a single piece, and the ends are brought around to form braces 1, 1, for the tongue or pole 2, which is secured between them with its rear end bolted down to the cross-bar 3, which latter extends across the forward end of the frame A, beneath the rear end of the tongue with its ends securely fastened to the frame, thus bracing the frame and tongue or pole at that point. Axle skeins 4l, 4, are secured to the main frame A, and mounted in the hubs of the wheels 5, 5. A rod 6 extends across the rear end of the frame A, and upon this the cutter frame B is suspended and adjustably supported. The axle of the rotating cutter C is journaled in boxes 7, 7, in this cutter frame. This rotating cutter is very similar in construction to that illustrated in the patent above referred to, to A. lV. Weatherlyas Well as in my own former patent, that is to say, it consists in a plurality of radial blades S, S, centrally secured edgewise to the arms 9, 9, which in my present invention preferably extend tangentially from the hub rather than radially, giving a little more direct downward cut upon the stalks as the cutter rotates. These blades 8 may, of course, be removed and replaced, if desired, when they become dull or worn out.

The cutter frame is raised and lowered by the hand lever L, which is pivotally supported at the rear edge and as near the middle of the cross-bar 3 as practicable, and from said bar the rod forming the lever is bent in opposite directions, the one end to form the arm 9, which is pivotally connected with the wrist of the link 10 projecting upwardly from the forward edge of the cutter-frame, and the portion extending in the other direction, forming a goose-neck 11, and a handle 12, the goose-neck bending in position to rest upon the cross-bar 3, as a stop when the lever shall have passed the dead center, when swung forwardly to raise the cutter-frame from the ground, thus l0ck. ing it in that position until the lever is pulled backwardly in the direction of the drivers seat 12', when the stalk cutter is in operation, at which time the handle of the lever, by reason of the goose-neck formation, extends within easy reach of the driver, where it rests upon the rear end of the main frame A by gravity, having passed dead center, whereby to lock the cutter frame in its operative position, or where it may be held by the hand or foot of the driver'. The spring 18 which supports the seat is preferably mounted on the frame at the rear end of the tongue or pole. lt may be secured by the same bolt 14 which fastens the tongue or pole to the crossbar 8.

Spring-teeth 15, 15, preferably made from a single rod are pivotally supported on the under side of the tongue or pole as at 16, their function being to trail along the ground in advance of the cutter and straighten the plants or stalks and pull them inward into the path of the cutter to enable the latter to more advantageously cut the plants or stalks. In this way, l' provide a simple and efficient improvement for the purposes designed, and it is evident that more vor less slight changes might be resort-ed to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without depart-- ing from the Spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not Wish to limit 1nyself to the exact construction herein set forth but Having fully described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

In a stalk-cutter, the combination With a main fra-me supported by suitableV Wheels, of a cutter-frame suspended therefrom, and e lever fulcrumed on the main frame havingv one end in the form of an arm, and the other a goose neck and handle, a rigid link connecting the arm with the free end of the cutter frame, the goose-neck being' positioned to rest upon some part of the main frame when the lever shall have crossed the dead center in raising the cutter frame, whereby to retain and lock the frame in that position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN R. VVEATHERLY. Witnesses C. A. NEALE, VERNON E. HODGES. 

